Locomotive sanding device



- May 19, 1931. v. 1.. FRANTZ LOCOMOTIVE SANDING DEVICE Filed Aug. 12', 1929 Patented May 19, 1931 LOCOMOTIVE SANDTiNG DEVICE Application filed August 12, 1929. Serial No. 385,230.

My invention relates to locomotive sanders and has for one of its objects the provision of improved means for agitating the sand in the sand box or dome and for moving it to the sand outlets.

A principal feature of theinvention consists in associating with the valve device employed for supplying fluid to the sander, means for introducing a blast into the sand 1 box to deliver the sand to the passageway connecting the box to the sander.

A further feature of the invention con sists in introducing a portion of the blast employed for cleaning the sander to the sand box for agitating the sand in the latter.

Other and more specific features residing in advantageous forms and combinations and relations of parts will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims.

30 In the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1, is a fragmentary side elevational view of a locomotive showing the sanding device applied thereto.

Figure 2, is an enlarged detailed view of the parts of the sanding device adjacent the sand box or dome.

Figure 3, is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section taken on line 3-3, Fig- 30 ure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 and 2 indicates sanders which are preferably of the type illustrated in the patent to White No. 1,263,722 dated i L *il F 23, 1918. The sander 1 is intended to be used when the locomotive moves in a for ward direction and the sander 2 is intended for use when the locomotive moves in a rearward direction. Each sander is connected to the usual sand box or dome 3 by a pipe t through which sand may readily flow, the sand being conducted from the sanders to the rail by pipes 5.

The sanders are each provided with a sanding jet and a cleaning jet, respectively adapted to be connected to a source of fluid supply (not shown). Interposed between the sanders and the source of fluid supply is a valve device, preferably of the type illustrated in the patent to James Frantz No. 1,409,538

dated March 1%, 1922, for controlling the flow of fluid to the jets. The sanding jets of the sanders 1 and 2 are respectively connected to the valve device by pipes Sand 7 and tne cleaning jets are likewise respectively con nected thereto by pipes 8 and 9, respectively. As clearly shown in the patent to Frantz: above mentioned and as depicted in the dra ings the valve device embodies two ch bers 10 and 11, respectively, each containing a valve member 12 for controlling the flow of fluid to the senders 1 and 2, respectively. Pivotally connected to the valve device is a lever 13 having laterally projecting arms 14; for respectively cooperating with the valve members 12 depending upon the direction of rotation of the lever. W hen it is desired. to supply fluid to sander 1 thelever is rotated in a clockwise direction and when it is desired to lever is rotated in the opposite direction. The lower ends of the compartments 10 and 11 are respectively in direct communication with the chamber 15 to which fluid pressure is supplied by a pipe 16.

Each valve member 12 comprises a piston valve 17 and a winged valve 18 thelatter normally cooperating with a seat 19 formed in the chamber. The valve members are normally urged upward by coiled springs 20 causing the winged valves 18 to cooperate with their seats 19 to prevent the flow of fluid to the sanders. The piston valve 17 and winged valve 18.are so arranged with re spect to the ports having communication with the pipes leading to the sanding and cleaning jets that a slight downward move ment of the valve member unseat-s the winged valve 18 permitting fluid to pass to both jets'of the sander. Further movement of t 1e valve member causes the piston'valve 17 to close the port having communication with the cleaning jet but still enables fluid to freely flow through the port having communication with the sanding jet. hen the valve member is returned to normal position by the spring 20 it will be seen that fluid is again permitted to flow to the cleaning jet of the sander. Thus it will be appreciated that the blast momentarily admitted to the sander supply fluid to the sander 2 the before and after each sanding operation prevents the pipes and sanders from becoming clogged and insures a free flow of sand.

7 Heretofore considerable difliculty has been experienced in obtaining a free flow of sand from the sand box or dome to the sander due to the sand becoming clotted and being disposed in a position such that it will not readily flow from the sand outlets. To obviate this difiiculty means is provided for delivering to the sand box a blast of the same iiuid delivered to the sander, the flow of which is controlled by the valve device heretofore described. This means involves a spreader 21 disposed within the sand box, the spreader being advantageously formed by a plurality of connected pipe sections 22 each of which is fashioned with apertures 23. The ends of the spreader are preferably connected by pipes 2i joined by a T-coupling 25 outside of the box and preferably midway between the two sanders. The pipes 2i at their point of juncture communicate through pipes 26 and 27, respectively, with the pipe 8 leading to the cleaning jet of sander 1 and with pipe 9 leading to the cleaning jet of sander 2. Thus it will be seen that when fluid flows through either of the pipes leading to the cleaning jets of the sanders a portion of this fluid is conducted into and discharged in the sand box thereby breaking up any clot-s of sand and at the same time moving over to the sand outlets sand that would otherwise remain piled in the center of the box. As the pipes 26 and 27 communicate with each other and with the cleaning pipes of the respective sanders they are each provided with a check valve 28 to prevent the pipe of one sander from passing into the cleaning pipe of the other sander.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the engineer operates the valve device to sand the rail a blast is not only delivered to the sander to clean it and the connecting pipes of any-obstruction but a blast is also delivered into the sand box tobreak up any clots which may have formed and to move the sand over the sand outlets. Thus a free flow of sand from the box to the sander is at all times assured as a blast will be automatically delivered to the sand box immediately before and after each sanding operation.

I claim:

In a locomotive sanding arrangement of the pneumatic type, the combination with a plurality of sanders each having a sanding jet and a cleaning jet, of'a sand box having outlets respectively communicating with said sanders, a valve device, pipes respectively connecting said valve device with each of said jets pipes connecting each of the pipes interposed between the valve device and cleaning jets with the sandbox, and check valves in the pipes leading to said box, said valve device having means for admitting fluid in the cleaning fluid pressure to the sanding jets and for admitting a blast to the cleaning jets and sand box.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

VIRGIL L. FRANTZ. 

